The king of Marriott annual free night certificates are the 85K certificates. Two credit cards offer these, but only one is currently available to apply for. The Chase Ritz Carlton Card can only be acquired as a product change. However, I will always keep this card and my American Express Bonvoy Brilliant Card because I […]

I have had a few American Express Business Platinum cards and am always looking for ways to use my Dell credits. These cards come with a $400 Dell credit each year ($200 semi-annually). Because I have had more than one of these cards at a time, I am always looking for the best ways to […]

At first glance, the American Express Business Platinum Card seems out of the average person’s league due to the high annual fee of $695. Ouch, right? However, today I will share my American Express Business Platinum Card review and the reasons this card has worked for me.   Basics of the American Express Business Platinum […]

In this latest episode, we’re taking a deep dive into the often overlooked yet incredibly rewarding world of co-branded airline and hotel credit cards. Imagine jet-setting in business class to the Maldives or unwinding at a luxury resort in Bora Bora—yes, we’ve done that, and much, much more, all thanks to these specialty cards. We, […]

Recently, I chatted with a reader who found a flight to Amsterdam from the United States on Avianca in business for a good redemption price. This flight would be on a United airplane. She transferred her points and couldn’t book the tickets. She called Avianca only to be told by the agent that what she […]

Camille presents her reader success story to Toronto today. Here it is, in her words: I started using credit card points and miles in May 2022 after doing an extensive internet search for the best travel credit card and came across Pam and Alex’s blog. I was hooked. My husband is Canadian and his parents […]

Alex and I just returned from attending the iHeart Podcast Awards. Points Talk with the Travel Mom Squad was one of five podcasts nominated for Best Travel Podcast. What an honor to be nominated for a podcast that is barely a year old—especially considering we have often recorded it from the floors of our closets […]

We just returned from Huntington Beach and Disneyland on points and miles. This time, we took another squad with us—five of the cutest, confident cousins who let us tag along on their adventures and pick up the bill. They range in age from eight to twelve, and all of them remind us that they are […]

One of the things that all three of us at Travel Mom Squad can agree on is that a good airport lounge makes our flight experiences so much more enjoyable. In light of this, I wanted to share some of our favorite airport lounges with you. We gain access to some with certain credit cards, […]

In today’s episode, we’re diving deep into the exclusive world of airport lounges, those serene havens tucked away from the hustle and bustle of crowded terminals. Imagine slipping into a luxurious lounge, where complimentary gourmet meals, cozy seating, and even showers after a long flight become your pre-boarding ritual. Well, Pam, our resident lounge aficionado, […]

Yes, it’s true—SLH (Small Luxury Hotels) and Hyatt are parting ways. And now we have a date for this split—May 15, 2024. Alas, we’ve enjoyed this partnership, but all is not lost as they will be partnering with Hilton soon (date not yet known). What does this mean for each of us? For instance, I […]

We use points and miles for a lot of luxury trips, family vacations, and more. Another great way to use points is to visit family. In fact, that’s what got Jess into points and miles…being able to visit family for less. In this reader success story,  Amanda shares how she used points and miles to […]

Recently there were some Turkish Airline redemption changes and it wasn’t good news. We used to find some absolutely amazing deals to Europe for as little as 45K miles one way in business class. Jess flew to Greece and Istanbul that way and I have a trip for later this summer to Italy for 45K […]

There isn’t a lot that excites us more than the addition of a brand-new credit card to earn more points and miles on! Welcome to the Wells Fargo Autograph Journey card. We always like it when there is a new card to apply for, and here are all the details about it.   Offer on […]

Welcome to another exciting episode of Points Talk with the Travel Mom Squad, where today, we’re diving into the world of luxury flights. We’re sharing our most unforgettable first and business class flights. Join us—Pam, Jess, and Alex, as we turn left upon boarding, stepping into the realm of spacious lie-flat seats, gourmet dining, and […]

Using credit card points and miles has opened my world to lie-flat business-class seats. Before I started this hobby, I had only flown in business class once. On impulse, I upgraded to business for about $800 to snag a same-day ticket when I was flying home from London. It was AMAZING! Obviously, you will use […]

Today, I’m talking about the most expensive trip I’ll take this year, and it’s because I couldn’t use points/miles to book it. Let me explain. My husband and I have old friends (old as long-time friends and old as in age because we are all grandparents!😜). They go to Arizona yearly with their fifth wheels. […]

Our latest reader success story is close to my heart as Lysandra and her family hotel-hopped in Cancun, Mexico.  Here is her report: I wanted to give a review of our recent points trip to Cancun as a family of 5 for winter break 2023. Our girls are 7 and 10, and our son is […]

Family hotels in Europe are harder to find than in the United States because they have stricter room occupancy limits. This is regularly a thorn in the side for many of our readers who travel with their families on credit card points and miles. Who really wants to split a family up into two or […]

Do changes in the points and miles world discourage you? We’ve been in this game for about 8 years and have seen a lot of changes. Are they discouraging? At times. Do they make us want to quit redeeming points and miles for nearly free travel? NEVER! There will always be changes to award charts, […]

American Express Membership Rewards are one of the flexible currencies we use in the credit card points and miles game all the time. However, AMEX has changed some of the application rules for their cards. Let’s get clear on the American Express family language!   American Express Cards Earning Membership Rewards You used to be […]